U.s.-china Talks On Embassy End

July 16, 1999

Two days of talks on U.S. compensation for NATO's accidental bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia ended Friday without a settlement. A U.S. official said the talks will resume later this month. The discussions covered compensation for the deaths of three Chinese journalists in the May 7 bombing, injuries to 20 Chinese diplomats and damage to the embassy building. The U.S. side also asked Beijing for compensation for damage to American diplomatic offices in China in violent protests after the bombing, U.S. representative David Andrews said. Andrews, a State Department legal adviser, read to reporters from a prepared statement and would not answer questions. "The United States hopes to make these payments as soon as possible," he said.